While We’re Waiting… LeBron’s Decision, Brantley’s Call-Up, and Yankees Payroll
July 5, 2010While We’re Waiting… Skills Camp, Shaq Rumors, and LeBron’s Impact on Quicken Loans
July 6, 2010With the Chicago Bulls using their current roster and salary cap space to their advantage when attempting to pitch their franchise to LeBron James, what may not help their case is a recent report that claims the Bulls will not provide special privileges to the player’s friends.
As a member of the Cavaliers, members of James’ entourage – including business manager Maverick Carter and close friend Randy Mims – have enjoyed a high level of access in Cleveland. Mims was given a role as player liaison with the team and others have reportedly enjoyed many flights on the team plane. But with the possibility of James leaving, these privileges were thought to have been at risk – something that the Chicago Daily Herald confirms would be the case if James were to head to the windy city.
When the Bulls met with LeBron James on Saturday afternoon, they were armed with only their story. There were no marketing presentations, no world-class rap stars and no championship ring display. They opted to talk only basketball and what they can offer the 25-year-old free agent. A strong roster and plenty of salary cap space can go a long way, but can it go long enough?
With the Bulls stating that they will not cater to James’ friends and business partners, it provided a stark contrast to what the two-time MVP saw earlier in the day when the Cavaliers created a custom cartoon in the form of Family Guy which featured he and his friends that was reportedly full of pranks and inside jokes.
Anyone that knows James knows that his friends and family are of the utmost importance to him. Whether or not the Bulls reported unwillingness to cater to those that come along with James impacts the player’s decision remains to be seen.
18 Comments
Could be a risk, but you’ve gotta respect the fact that they were straight up business with him.
Also, Obama looks like he was photoshopped into that picture.
hahahaha..dont the bulls have google!? lebron comes with an entourage..end of story
I totally respect a team having dignity and self-assurance. But making such announcements, and proposing deadlines, as they were rumored to have done, is shooting themselves in the foot. On the other hand, it could be they aren’t desperate for James, but they figured the pitch was worth a shot. After all, it’s not like the Bulls spent $300,000 bucks on a movie for him.
The first thing I thought when i looked at that pic is “I see Denny was busy with photoshop again.”
If this is true, I like it. Its been said Jordan didn’t have an entourage following him wherever he goes. Why should Chicago treat Lebron any different. I really don’t see Pat Riley allowing that entourage to be on his plane either. If its about being comfortable, dancing, 300,000 dollar cartoons, etc then stay in Cleveland.
Sounds like more proof that he won’t have it any better anywhere but Cleveland…
“Whether or not the Bulls reported unwillingness to cater to those that come along with James impacts the player’s decision remains to be seen.”
So they’d have to go out for meals…I really don’t think Maverick Carter and co. are THAT dependent on catering. They can afford it.
I would think the bigger deal is not being able to accompany the team on road trips. Not going on the plane, riding on the bus, staying at the hotel, all taken care of for them.
That’s a lot pricier than meals, and, just as importantly considering LeBron may foot that bill, a major annoyance if they don’t have it.
That said, this is LeBron’s decision, not there’s. It’ll factor, but it’s not like it should be in the top10 things (who knows if it is, but I’d’ be surprised)
One more positive for Cleveland if you ask me who knows LBJ just might end up staying after all. Although if he does I’d be shocked if it were for longer then three more years.
A small part of me likes Chicago not schmoozing so much I mean LeBron shouldn’t need his friends at every turn. But such is life in sports these days.
noone can say no to Betty White:
http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2010/07/lebron_james_gets_courted_by_b.html
Sure, this show may just be making fun of Cleveland (the premise: older women who are unattractive in CA are ‘hot’ in Cleveland), but if it got Betty White in our corner to keep LeBron, it’s well worth it.
If this is true, I’m happy.
As for Chicago – they are the team that needs LBJ the LEAST, so maybe they are prepared to move on with others instead?
Stoudemire says the Knicks are back now that he’s got his – LoL – I hope noone else signs there this way he can demonstrate just how much of a one man team he is on the court. I’m really glad Cleveland didn’t trade for him because it would have been a waste. Money grubbers like him do not deserve championships. I just hope LBJ doesn’t disappoint me and follow Stoudemire on the dark side.
More proof that Jerry won’t spend money. Maybe he and the Dolans are distant relatives.
I actually like the Bulls approach. They want to show Lebron that maybe he needs to focus on basketball more than his friends/entourage. Yet, at the same time, I think that Lebron’s friends and business partners are extremely important to him and I don’t think they are a distraction to his concentration or his game focus. Therefore I believe this puts Cleveland in the winners circle to re-sign Lebron.
For 7 years, everyone has applauded James’ maturity and decision-making. These are the guys that have helped him along the way.
Any team that wants him to dump them or even lessen their importance, is asking LeBron to change who he is/how he operates. This isn’t like he has Allen Iverson’s entourage – they aren’t getting him in trouble or anything.
I is just making a “catering” joke.
@Shamrock – Funny how we are hoping LBJ wants to take guaranteed money to stay with us as opposed to going to a situation in Chicago that is better (for the immediate future) in terms of roster.
Ah, he comes with the entourage. Teams are just going to have to deal. And it’s all BS anyway – his buddies will get the royal treatment because that makes LBJ happy.
First I’d like to applaud a number of you for recognizing the fact that the Bulls didn’t do a song and dance for LBJ’s services. They talked business, they talked team, they talked winning. The Knicks looked like morons; the Nets looked like fools rolling out their power point presentation on how they were going to make LeBron a billionaire, with cliffs notes from some Russian oligopolist.. And I’m sorry but the Cav’s looked rather silly and unprofessional with their cartoon and their call to arms pep rally with fans begging him to stay in Cleveland. I can understand the passion but it looked childish. The only teams that looked fairly professional coming out of their meetings were Miami and Chicago.
Secondly, their were no deadlines discussed.. The Chicago media has been incredibly even handed in reporting this whole saga, actually a miracle since they usually are very homerish. However I would say of all the major market papers writing about this story the Chicago papers have been very even handed about the scenarios of players moving from one city to another. If such a discussion about deadlines for signing contracts and what not were discussed I would think it would have been in one of the stories on the Trib or SunTimes websites. None of that has been reported anywhere in Chicago.
Lastly, as a Cub fan I truly hate to say this, but Jerry Reinsdorf is probably one of the best and shrewdest franchise(s) owners in all of sports. He has brought 7 championships to Chicago; uninformed people call him cheap while I would call him a wise businessman. He didn’t resign Ben Gordon for big money, that’s because BG wasn’t worth the money he was demanding as has been proven by his horrid year in Detroit. Everyone blames him for Scottie Pippens bad contract, yet Reinsdorf didn’t put a gun to Scotties head to sign it. People say he drove MJ out of town and ended the dynasty early, yet Michael wanted to control the team and wanted Jerry Krause gone when it wasn’t MJ’s team to run.
Chicago is definitely the best positioned of any of these teams. The Bulls could trade Noah for Bosh or sign Carlos Boozer, and then sign Wade as he flees a talentless HEAT team. The one major fact in all this, Chris Bosh does not want to live in Cleveland and he does not want to be a center, both are statements of fact that have come directly from his mouth. LeBron can stay in Cleveland for all I care, but he will never play for the most talented team in the Eastern Conference and he will never win a ring while playing for the Cavilers..